Moscow Restaurants: Siberian Specialities at Suguday Bar

Suguday bar boasts a prime central location, a stone’s throw from the Hermitage Garden. Windows flood the restaurant with autumnal light, setting the tone for this stylish eatery.

The new restaurant from the Bulldozer group has taken inspiration for its name from an eponymous delicacy hailing from Russia’s Far East. Now popular in restaurants across Russia, suguday is a simple dish of whitefish cut into very thin slices and mixed with a little salt and oil. Suguday originated from the nomadic people of the Arctic, who often used broad whitefish, lake herring or white salmon as the principle ingredient.

The menu, which appears rather small at a first glance, includes an extensive starter menu, with dishes like suguday (with mackerel, whitefish, halibut, trout) and carpaccio (from 390 rubles). There is also stroganina, which is similar to suguday but served frozen.

The Siberian dishes are accompanied by ingredients such as mango, quinoa and avocado, creating fusion dishes with surprising flavor combinations (from 390 rubles). Those not in the mood for seafood — or who have booked a fish restaurant by mistake — can opt for the flavorsome steak tartare with Crimean truffles.

Head chef Andrei Shelukhin prides himself on the restaurant’s use of fresh, seasonal produce. As such, he chalks up a specials board based on each day’s delivery. Among the nine main dishes on offer, the salmon with spinach and the halibut with seasonal vegetables are particularly good (890 rubles).

Freshly-prepared salads, tasty soups — such as the Thai soup — and a small dessert selection complete the menu, which is complemented by a European wine list. The refined but informal bar is perfect for a post-dinner cocktail (all priced around 400 rubles).

Pale wooden tables, gentle music and an abundance of mirrors create the illusion of space and light. Waitstaff wear the classic white and blue horizontally striped t-shirt called the “Telnyashka,“ topped with a sailor’s hat.

Suguday is well worth a visit if you’re looking to try something a little different — or if you’re yearning for a sea breeze and finding the capital rather landlocked.